Sensor-equipped vehicle braking systems, devices, and methods

ABSTRACT

Methods, devices, and systems, for analyzing and managing data generated by a sensor-equipped braking system for vehicles, comprising a support element a block of friction material, at least one sensor interposed between the block of friction material and the support element, comprising at least one central control unit capable of receiving in real time from the sensor means at least the basic data related to one or more of the pressure of the activated braking system, the temperature of the activated braking system, the braking torque, the residual braking torque when the braking system is deactivated, and the wear on the braking system during and after activation thereof. The system can also include one or more auxiliary sensors.

INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE OF ANY PRIORITY APPLICATIONS

All applications for which a foreign or domestic priority claim isidentified in the Application Data Sheet as filed with the presentapplication are hereby incorporated by reference under 37 CFR 1.57.

BACKGROUND

A braking unit is a mechanical apparatus that diverts energy from amoving system, thereby reducing the motion of the moving system. Abraking unit is typically used for slowing or stopping a moving vehicle,such as by friction between a generally non-rotating brake pad and arotating brake disk or drum. The brake pad can be pressed against thebrake disk or drum by a brake caliper.

SUMMARY OF CERTAIN EMBODIMENTS

The present disclosure relates to systems, devices, and methods foranalyzing and managing of data generated by sensor-equipped vehiclebraking systems.

Vehicle braking devices can include a block of friction materialsupported by a metallic support element. According to some embodiments,one or more piezoceramic sensors and/or other sensors can be included onthe braking device, such as by interposing the sensor(s) between theblock of friction material and the metallic support element. Suchsensors can be used to detect information during the operation of thevehicle, such as temperature, forces that are exchanged between theblock of friction material and the element to be braked, a disk or drum,bound to the wheel, and the like.

According to some embodiments, detected forces and/or other detectedvalues can be used to foresee or determine faults, defects, or otherundesirable operation of the braking system. For instance, systemsdisclosed herein can process information received from the sensorizedbrake pad(s) to automatically determine undesirable operation, withoutrelying on interaction between the braking system and one or more otherparts of the vehicle and/or relying on involvement of the user of thevehicle, the manufacturer, and/or ancillary service providers.

International Publication Number No. WO2014/170726A1 and U.S. Pat. No.9,415,757, the contents of both of which are hereby incorporated byreference herein, disclose a vehicle braking system that includes abraking element, in particular a sensorized brake pad. The brake pad hasincludes at least one piezoceramic sensor operating at high temperaturesand capable of outputting an electrical signal when subjected tomechanical stress. Such a brake pad can detect, without the need for anexternal energy source, the presence and extent of the mechanicalstresses which can arise at the interface between said pad and the brakedisc. Such brake pads allows the capability of analyzing brakingoperation in order to detect, report, eliminate, and/or dramaticallyreduce abnormal operating conditions including phenomena such asvibrations and noise.

According to some embodiments systems and methods are provided which arecapable of analyzing and managing information generated by asensor-equipped braking system for vehicles. The braking system is ableto interact in a single direction or bi-directionally with intrinsicand/or extrinsic mechanical and/or non-mechanical vehicle data duringuse, e.g., with auxiliary sensors which can include geo-location sensors(e.g., Global Positioning System sensor), acceleration sensors, and orspeed sensors.

According to additional embodiments systems and methods analyze andmanage of data generated by a sensor-equipped braking system forvehicles to provide enhanced information about vehicle operation,including information about mechanical and/or non-mechanical intrinsicand/or extrinsic vehicle data, dependent and/or independent of its user,e.g., with a high degree of precision.

Some embodiments are capable of analyzing and managing data generated bysensorized braking systems for vehicles in a manner that partially orcompletely reduces the need for the vehicle user, owner, or mechanic tobe involved in diagnosing, managing, or maintaining certain aspects ofbrake system operation and/or other vehicle operation.

Embodiments disclosed herein analyze and manage data generated by asensor-equipped vehicle braking system so as to simplify and improve orpartially or completely eliminate mechanical and non-mechanicalintrinsic and extrinsic vehicle problems during its use, whileadditionally increasing safety at relatively low cost.

These and other capabilities can be provided by systems that can analyzeand manage data generated by a sensor-equipped braking system forvehicles. Such a braking system can include one or more braking elementssuch as a brake pad or shoe, which can include a support element, ablock of friction material supported by the support element, and one ormore sensors. The sensors can be supported by the support element andinterposed between the block of friction material and the supportelement. The braking system include at least one central control unitwhich can receive data (e.g., in real time) from the one or moresensors. The data can include some or all of data relating to: pressureof the activated braking system, temperature of the activated brakingsystem, braking torque, residual torque present when the braking systemis deactivated, and the wear of the braking system during and afteractivation. For example, the brake pad or shoe can include one or morepressure and/or shear force sensors (e.g., piezoelectric sensors such aspiezoceramic sensors) for measuring braking pressure, braking torque,and/or residual torque, and one or more temperature sensors, formeasuring temperature of the braking device. In some embodiments, thepressure sensor and the shear sensors are piezoelectric (e.g.,piezoceramic sensors) which differ in regard to the direction of theapplied bias therein. For instance, the pressure sensors can be orientedto detect normal forces between the surface of the friction material anda corresponding surface of the element to be braked, whereas the shearsensors can be oriented to detect shear (e.g., lateral) forces betweenthe surface of the friction material and the corresponding surface ofthe element to be braked.

Piezoceramic sensors can be configured to operate at high temperaturesand/or to output an electrical signal when subjected to mechanicalstress. The brake pad thus structured is able to detect in a simple andeconomical way, without the need for an external energy source, thepresence and extent of the mechanical stresses which can arise at theinterface between the pad and the brake disk. Such a brake pad can allowfor the possibility of monitoring the braking, such as to reduce oreliminate phenomena (e.g., vibrations and noise) and/or to reportabnormal operating conditions. The temperature of the brake pad istypically representative of the brake operating temperature. Obtainingthe temperature datum from a non-rotating part of the brake system(e.g., the brake pad) avoids other limitations that are typical ofmeasurements taken on rotating bodies, such as disk brakes or drumbrakes, that render measurement complex and costly.

In some embodiments, each sensor is covered by an electricallyinsulating protective layer. In certain embodiments, the control unitscomprise an electrical power supply that is configured to absorb energyfrom the motion of the vehicle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Additional features and benefits of the inventions will become furtherevident from the description below. These and other features areillustrated by way of certain non-limiting examples in the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of a vehicle;

FIG. 2 illustrates a side view of a braking unit, such as a braking unitof the vehicle of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 schematically illustrates a perspective view of a braking device;

FIG. 4 illustrates a perspective view of the braking device of FIG. 3without the block of friction material;

FIG. 5 illustrates a system including one or more vehicles incorporatingsensor-equipped brake units, in communication with a computing system ofa service center;

FIG. 6 schematically illustrates an example of a portion of a vehicleincluding a plurality of control units and one or more sensor-equippedbrake units; and

FIGS. 7 and 8 illustrate embodiments of sensor-equipped brake pads.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF CERTAIN EMBODIMENTS

Embodiments of systems, components, and methods will now be describedwith reference to the accompanying figures, wherein like numerals referto like or similar elements throughout. Although several embodiments,examples and illustrations are disclosed below, the inventions describedherein extends beyond the specifically disclosed embodiments, examples,and illustrations. The inventions disclosed herein can include otheruses of the inventions and obvious modifications and equivalentsthereof. The terminology used in the description presented herein is notintended to be interpreted in any limited or restrictive manner simplybecause it is being used in conjunction with a detailed description ofcertain specific embodiments of the inventions. Embodiments of theinventions can comprise several novel features. No single feature issolely responsible for its desirable attributes or is essential topracticing the inventions herein described.

Overview

FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a vehicle V. While a heavy truck isshown, the inventions disclosed herein can be applicable to any type ofvehicle including cars, trains, airplanes, bicycles, and to groups orfleets of vehicles including any combination of the foregoing.

FIG. 2 shows a braking unit 1100 of a vehicle, such as the heavy truckshown in FIG. 1, or another automobile or other vehicle. The brakingunit 1100 can include a caliper 1102 and a disk shaped rotor 1103rotating about an axis of the wheel of the vehicle. The braking unit1100 can include a braking device 101, such as a brake pad or brakeshoe. Two opposite braking devices 101 are movable by a correspondingpiston 1104 so that friction material 103 thereof may engage ordisengage the opposite sides of the disk shaped rotor 1103. Signalscoming from one or both braking devices 101, such as from one or moresensors included in the braking devices 101 or otherwise incorporatedinto the braking unit 1100, can be transmitted via cables 1105 to aprocessing unit 1107, which can include a signal conditioning devicecomprising analog front ends 1106 and digitalization. As will bediscussed in more detail below, signals from the braking devices 101 canbe used to aid in sensing information relating to operation of thebraking unit, which can be used to detect and remedy undesirableoperation of the braking devices 101, among other beneficial uses.

Braking Devices with Sensors

FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate the braking device 101. For purposes ofpresentation, the braking device 101 shown in the figures, and discussedbelow, is described as a brake pad. However, the braking device 101 cantake many other forms, such as a brake shoe or otherwise.

As shown, the brake pad 101 comprises a support element 102, which canbe called a a “backplate.” The backplate is preferably but notnecessarily metallic. The brake pad 101 can include a block of frictionmaterial 103 supported by the support element 102. The brake pad 101 caninclude one or more sensors 104, such as piezoceramic sensors. Thesensors 104 can be supported by the support element 102. The sensors 104can be interposed between the support element 102 and the block offriction material 103. As shown, the piezoceramic sensors 104 can besupported in a raised arrangement on the support element 102.

The support element 102 in particular is shaped as a contour shaped flatplate having a first main planar surface 105 that is intended in use toface an element to be braked, such as a vehicle brake disc, and a secondmain planar surface 106 that is parallel to the first main planarsurface 105. The block of friction material 103 has, in particular, afirst main planar surface 107 that is conjugated to the first planarsurface 105 of the support element 102 and a second planar surface 108that is parallel to the first planar surface 107, and intended in use todirect contact with the element to be braked.

The piezoceramic sensors 104 are able to detect the forces that areexchanged in use during the contact between the brake pad 101 and theelement to be braked as a result of their inherent ability to emit anelectrical signal when subjected to a mechanical stress. As shown, thesupport element 112 supports an electrically insulated electricalcircuit 109. The circuit 109 has electrical contacts to which electrodesof the piezoceramic sensors 104 are connected. The electrical circuit109 receives and transmits electrical signal, which is generated withoutthe need for an electrical power supply from piezoceramic sensors 104,when they are subjected to a mechanical stress in the direction ofpolarization. The electrical signal emitted by the piezoceramic sensors104 and collected by the electrical circuit 109 can either be processedin real time or at a later point in time.

The piezoceramic sensors 104 are made of piezoceramic materials with aCurie temperature greater than 200° C. and are formed of a preferablycylindrical body that is polarized in the direction of its axis anddelimited by a pair of opposite flat faces that are arranged in useparallel to the main planar surfaces of the support element 102.Preferably only one of the faces, in particular, the one facing theelectrical circuit 109, has both of the electrical signal samplingelectrodes. Specific examples of piezoceramic sensors 104 that may beused are, for instance, PIC 255 (Manufacturer: PI Ceramic), PIC 300(Manufacturer: PI Ceramic), PIC 181 (Manufacturer: PI Ceramic), PIC 050(Manufacturer: PI Ceramic), TRS BT200 (Manufacturer: TRS Ceramics),PZT5A1 (Manufacturer: Morgan Advanced Ceramic), PZT5A3 (Manufacturer:Morgan Advanced Ceramic). While piezoceramic sensors are shown, othertypes of piezoelectric sensors or other types of pressure sensors can beused in various implementations.

The electrical circuit 109 has branches that are suitably shaped inorder to arrange the piezoceramic sensors 104 in discrete positions onthe support element 102 and is also provided with an integratedelectrical connector at the edge of the support element 102.

While not shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, in some embodiments, one or moretemperature sensors and/or one or more shear force sensors that areelectrically connected to the electrical circuit 109 may be mounted onthe support element 102. The electrically insulated electrical circuit109 is preferably screen printed and applied directly onto the supportelement 102. For instance, the shear force sensors can be piezoceramicsensors oriented so as to detect shear forces (e.g., lateral forces)between the brake pad 101 (e.g., the friction material 103) and theelement to be braked, whereas pressure sensors can be piezoceramicsensors oriented to detect normal forces between the brake pad 101(e.g., the friction material 103) and the element to be braked.

In certain implementations, some or all of the sensors on the supportelement 102 are installed onto the electrically insulated electricalcircuit 109 from the side of the latter that faces the block of frictionmaterial 103. The sensors that are thus integrated into the supportelement 102 are highly capable of measuring the forces acting on thebrake pad 101 during braking or in general during the running of thevehicle.

A damping layer 1101 (see FIG. 2) can be provided that is interposedbetween the block of friction material 103 and the support element 102.The damping layer 1101 can have a first main surface that is conjugatedto the first planar surface of the support element 102 and a secondsurface that is conjugated to the first planar surface of the block offriction material 103. The damping layer 1101 can be mostly made ofphenolic resin material.

In some configurations, each piezoceramic sensor 104 is embedded withinor otherwise covered and protected by a protective element 116 (alsocalled a protective layer). The protective element 116 can be located onthe support element 102 at the position of the piezoceramic sensor 104.For the electrical insulation of the piezoceramic sensor 104 theprotective element 116 can be made of electrically insulating material.

The protective element 116 can have mechanical properties, such as anelastic modulus that has been carefully chosen in order to limit theforce transmitted to the piezoceramic sensor 104 when an externalcompression force is applied to the block of friction material 103.Further details regarding this and other aspects of the brake pad can befound in International Application No. PCT/IB2013/060881, filed Dec. 12,2013 and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/184,806, filed Jun. 16,2016, the entirety of each of which is hereby incorporated by referenceherein.

The protective element 116 can be configured to direct at least part ofthe external compression force to an area of the support element 102surrounding the piezoceramic sensor 104 itself. This can be beneficialbecause, for example, a considerable external compression force is infact generated during the hot pressing of the block of friction materialonto the support 102.

In various embodiments, the protective element 116 substantially orcompletely embeds the piezoceramic sensor 104. The protective element116 can be made of a resin-based material, for example, the material forthe protective element can include one or more of: polyimide resins,epoxy resins (loaded or not), Bismaleimide resins, and Cyanate-Esterresins. In certain implementations, the protective element can be madeby dripping the material at a standard pressure and moderatetemperatures (such as less than about 200° C.) prior to forming theblock of friction material 103. Ceramic materials that are much harderthan resins and suitable for temperatures above 350° C. may however alsobe used for the protective element.

In some embodiments, some or all of the sensors and/or other componentsof the electrical circuit 109 have a respective protective element, suchas a protective element of the same type as that described above. Invarious embodiments, due to the protection provided by the protectiveelement 116, the forces actually experienced by the sensors during theproduction of the brake pad 101 or when the brake unit is in operationis reduced.

Certain Vehicle Systems

FIG. 5 schematically illustrates a block view of a system 500 forgenerating, analyzing, and managing information generated by one or morevehicles 500, including information generated by one or more sensorizedbraking units 1100.

The system 500 includes one or more vehicles 502, a computing system 504associated with the vehicles 502 such as a service center, fleetmanagement center or other vehicle-related entity, and one or more enduser computing devices 506 associated with users of the computing system504.

The vehicles 502 can be in communication with the computing system 504via one or more appropriate wireless networks 508, which can be a widearea network (WAN). For instance, the vehicles 502 can communicate withthe computing system 504 according to some or all of the followingwireless standards, without limitation: Global System for Mobile (GSM),General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), Code Division Multiple Access(CDMA), 3G, 4G, and/or Long Term Evolution (LTE), WorldwideInteroperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) network,machine-to-machine (M2M), Wi-Fi, long range Wi-Fi, Universal MobileTelecommunications System (UMTS), High-Speed Downlink Packet Access(HSDPA), or another long range wireless standard. The vehicles 502 andthe computing system 504 can also be configured for wired communicationwith one another and/or communication over a local area network (LAN),such as when the vehicles are located at a service center, for example.The vehicles 502 can also be configured to communicate with one anothervia any appropriate network, such as an M2M network.

The computing system 504 and the user computing devices 506 cancommunicate with one another via a network 510, which may be a wirelessor wired network, such as a local area network (LAN), and which caninclude any of the foregoing types of networks, or some other network.For instance, the user computing devices can include workstations orportable devices (e.g., smartphones, laptops, tablets, etc.) ofemployees or other users associated with the entity that operates thecomputing system 504. The computing system 504 can include one or moreservers and/or other computing devices, which can be networked among oneanother, as well as one or more storage devices (e.g., flash memory,disk drives, tape drives, etc.), which can be used to store sensorinformation and other information received from the vehicles 502.

The vehicles 502 can include any of the types of vehicles discussedherein, without limitation, such as one or more cars, trucks, trains,air planes, etc. As shown, the illustrated vehicle 502 includes a brakesystem 512, a vehicle computing system 514, a recording unit 516, a datarepository 518, a communication interface 520, and one or more auxiliarysensors 524.

The brake system 512 includes one or more braking units 1100, which caninclude one or more sensor-equipped brake elements 101, such as a brakepad or shoe. For instance, the brake system 512 can include one brakeunit 1100 per wheel, each of which includes one, two, or more brakeelements 101. The brake units 1100 and corresponding brake elements 101can include any of the sensor-equipped brake units and brake elementsdescribed herein, such as those shown and described with respect toFIGS. 2-4, 7, and 8, and which can include without limitation one ormore pressure sensors, shear sensors, and/or temperature sensors.

The vehicle computing system 514 can comprise a central control unitsuch as an electronic control unit (“ECU”) of the vehicle 502. Thevehicle computing system 514 can include multiple separate computingdevices of the vehicle, including some or all of the vehicles on-boardcomputers. The computing system 514 is in communication with the brakingsystem 512 via a connection 522, which can include one or more wired orwireless communication channels (e.g., a CAN-bus). The computing system514 can be capable of receiving (e.g., in real time) data over theconnection 522 from the sensorized brake units 1100. The data caninclude data relating to the temperature, pressure, torque, residualtorque, or wear associated with the brake element 101, such as thepressure or torque between the block of friction material and the diskor drum of the vehicle when the braking system is activated by the user,temperature within the braking element 101 during activation of thebraking system, or residual torque between the block of frictionmaterial and the disk or drum when the braking system is deactivated,i.e. after brake system activation, when the user no longer exerts anypressure on the brake pedal. Techniques for determining wear andresidual torque from piezoceramic sensor information collected usingsensorized brake elements are provided in U.S. Patent ApplicationPublication No. 2016/0084331, filed on Apr. 16, 2014, which is herebyincorporated by reference herein.

The vehicle computing system 514 can include or be in communication witha number of additional on-board computing devices and componentry,including for example, a body control module (BCM), air bag modules,anti-lock braking system (ABS), etc.

The vehicle computing systems 514 can also be in wired or wirelesscommunication with one or more auxiliary sensors 524 or other electronicdevices, such as over one or more vehicle buses. The auxiliary sensors524 can be positioned within the vehicle, mounted to an exterior of thevehicle, or otherwise supported by the vehicle, and can include withoutlimitation one or more location sensors (e.g., Global Positioning Systemreceivers), acceleration sensors, speed sensors, velocity sensors,gyroscopes, thermometers, or the like. In some implementations, theauxiliary sensors 524 are included within the brake system 512, and canbe included in the brake element(s) 101, for example.

The vehicle 502 can include one or more clocks, which can provide areference time to the vehicle computing system 514 and/or to othercomponents of the vehicle 502. Moreover, the vehicle 502 can include acommon network, which can be implemented according to the ControllerArea Network (CAN bus) vehicle bus standard, allowing the variouscomputing devices within the vehicle 502 to communicate with each other,including some or all of the components of the vehicle 502 shown in FIG.5, without limitation.

In some implementations the vehicle computing system 514 can combineinformation received from multiple sensors to determine a positionand/or kinematic state of the vehicle. For instance, in someembodiments, the auxiliary sensor(s) 524 includes a GPS receiverconfigured to provide geo-referenced location data, as well as anaccelerometer, and the vehicle computing system 514 can process the datareceived from the GPS receiver and the accelerometer to determine anexact position (e.g., latitude and longitude coordinates) and kinematicstate (e.g., position, velocity, and/or acceleration) of the vehicle502. In other embodiments, a different type of location determiningdevice can be used in place of the GPS receiver, and a speed or velocitysensor can be used in place of the accelerometer to achieve a similarresult.

In general, the computer system 514 can receive any of the on board dataconcerning the state of the vehicle acquired by the on board computingsystems within the vehicle 502, and can be configured to analyze andmanage the data.

The recording unit 516 is coupled to the vehicle computing system 514and receives data from the computing system 514. The recording unit 516can comprise one or more storage devices (e.g., magnetic drives or solidstate drives) and/or one or more processors.

A variety of different types of data can be received by the eventrecording unit from the vehicle computing systems 514 (and/or directlyfrom the brake units 1100 or other sources such as the auxiliary sensors524). Such information can include, without limitation: braking data(e.g., pressure, temperature, torque, residual torque, wear), kinematicdata (e.g., vehicle position, velocity, acceleration), relative and/orabsolute vehicle position, information relating to occurrence of eventsand/or of the time occurrence such events, includingaccidents/collisions, malfunctioning of the brake system or othervehicle components, abrupt changes in speed, etc. For instance, thevehicle computing system 514 can receive a reference time from anon-board vehicle clock, and associate detected or determined events witha time of occurrence using the reference time.

A data repository 518 which can be referred to as a “black box” can beremovably mounted to the vehicle 502, and be capable of storing any ofthe data generated by the brake system 512 and other components of thevehicle 502 such as the auxiliary sensors 524 and the vehicle computingsystem 514. For instance, in some embodiments the data repository 518 isremovably mounted to the vehicle 502, is an onboard component of thevehicle 502, and/or capable of preserving some or all of the datadescribed herein, and can thus be used in a variety of manners, such inthe case of an accident, to learn information about the accident.

The illustrated recording unit 516 is also connected to a communicationinterface 520, which can be capable of long-range communication and caninclude a radio module or other transmission module configured toimplement any appropriate wireless protocol including any of thosedescribed herein, such as GSM, GPRS, CDMA, 3G, 4G, (LTE), WiMAX. M2M,Wi-Fi, long range Wi-Fi, UMTS, HSDPA, and M2M. The communicationinterface can be configured to transmit data over a mobile telephonenetwork, for example, for real-time communication, while respectingprivacy regulations. The communication interface 520 can be a componentof the on-board system of the vehicle 502.

In the illustrated embodiment, the communication unit 520 is connectedto the computing system 504 via the network 508, e.g., via a wirelessWAN connection, providing electronic communication between thevehicle(s) 502 and the computing system 504.

Certain Techniques for Using Sensor-Equipped Brake Pad Data

In some embodiments, data collected from the auxiliary sensors 524 canbe utilized together with the brake system data. For instance, locationdata from a GPS receiver can be stored together with brake system datato determine brake system 512 behavior at a given location of thevehicle 502. This can allow for analysis of brake system behavior (e.g.,pressure, temperature, torque, residual torque, and/or wear) over thecourse of a trip, when the vehicle 502 is driving over differentterrain, etc. Where the auxiliary sensors 524 include an accelerometer,acceleration data can be combined with data collected by the GPSreceiver to determine a more accurate position (e.g., exact latitude andlongitude coordinates) than that provided by the GPS receiver, as wellas a kinematic state (e.g., velocity, and/or acceleration) of thevehicle 502. Depending on the embodiment, such information can beretrieved from the data repository 518 or other on-board storage, or canbe transmitted in real time over the network 508 to the computing system504.

According to additional embodiments, data from one or more sensorizedbrake systems 512 can be used to learn about operation of the vehicle502 around the time an accident or other event occurred. For instance,braking pressure, temperature, braking torque, or residual torquecollected from the brake system 512 can be stored in the data repository518 along with data usable to determine that an accident has occurred.As one example, data from an on-board vehicle computer indicating thatan air bag has deployed can be stored together with the braking systemdata, along with a reference time stamp derived from a vehicle clock. Inthis manner, the stored brake pad data corresponding to a time at oraround the time of the air bag deployment/impact can be reviewed toassess brake system operation during the relevant time period. Otheron-board data can be used to determine when an accident has occurred.For instance, accelerometer data can be analyzed to identify severedeceleration beyond a threshold, indicative of a collision. Depending onthe embodiment, such information can be retrieved from the datarepository 518 or other on-board storage, or can be transmitted in realtime over the network 508 to the computing system 504.

Information collected by the sensorized brake system 512 can also beused to determine when brake system or other vehicle maintenance isappropriate. For instance, brake pad wear information can be collectedby the brake system 512 or be generated by the vehicle computing system514 or other on-board processor. When the wear information indicatesthat brake system maintenance is appropriate, the vehicle computingsystem 514 can trigger an indicator light or other warning to the user.Or, in some embodiments, the information is transmitted via the network508 to the computing system 504. For instance, in some implementations,the computing system 504 is operated by a rental car company or fleetmanagement company, and wear information and/or other brake system datais communicated from a fleet of vehicles 502 to the computing system504. The computing system 504 can process the information to determinethat maintenance is appropriate for a particular vehicle 502, and sendan electronic notification to an end user device 510.

In some embodiments, data collected by the vehicle 502 indicating orusable to determine that an accident or vehicle fault or malfunction(e.g., brake system malfunction) has occurred 502 is transmitted, e.g.,in real time, over the network 508 to the computing system 504. Aresulting notification is sent to an end user device 510, providing theability to provide quick response in the case of an accident ortechnical fault. In the case of vehicle impact, data provided by thevehicle 502 over the network 508 can be used to determine a severity ofthe impact. For example, data can be communicated from the vehicle 502to the computing system 504 indicating that an impact has occurred(e.g., acceleration data), and also indicating whether an airbagdeployed (likely severe) or did not deploy (likely less severe).Moreover, the vehicle 502, computing system 504, or end user device 506can automatically make a call to an emergency call center using a presetnumber, transmitting precise information to the operators regarding thelocation of the accident and any other relevant information that may beuseful in calling the emergency services.

The data collected by the vehicle(s) 502 can also be used in aninsurance context. For instance, the computing system 504 can beoperated by an insurance company, and data provided by the vehicle 502can be utilized to identify and prevent insurance fraud. For instance,data collected by the brake system 512, auxiliary sensors 524, or otheron-board components can used to verify statements made by insureddrivers relating to accidents they were involved in. Such data can alsobe used to derive customized insurance rates, resulting in substantialcost savings. For instance, data collected by the brake system 512,auxiliary sensors 524, or other on-board components can be used toassess individual driving behavior and corresponding statisticallikelihood of accidents/insurance claims. The computing system 104 canadditionally process data from multiple vehicles (10's, 100's, 1000's,or more) in the aggregate to detect brake system usage patterns or thelike.

The data generated by the vehicle 502 can be used in a variety ofcontexts. As just few possibilities, the data can be communicated and/orused by the user of the vehicle, an automotive fleet management company,a vehicle insurance company, a statistics firm, a traffic managementcompany, a vehicle maintenance company, and/or a vehicle production andsales company.

Certain Brake Systems and Brake Elements

FIG. 6 schematically illustrates an example of a portion 1 of a vehiclesystem including a plurality of control units 11, 12 and one or moresensor-equipped brake elements 101 (e.g., brake pads or shoes). Forinstance, the portion 1 may correspond to a portion of the vehiclesystem 502 of FIG. 5, including the brake system 512 and the vehiclecomputing system 514 or a portion thereof. As described above, the brakeunits 1100 can comprise a caliper with two brake pads 101 that can beactivated onto a disk brake. In some variants, the brake units 1100comprise brake shoes that can be activated against a drum brake.

FIG. 7 shows a side view of a compatible brake pad 101 including asupport element 102 and a block of friction material 103 connected withor otherwise supported by the support 102, and configured to act uponthe associated disk brake. The illustrated brake pad 101 includes atleast one pressure sensor, which can be at least one piezo-electricsensor such as a piezoceramic sensor 104, and can additionally includeat least one temperature sensor (not shown) and/or at least onepiezoceramic shear sensor (not shown). The sensor(s) 104 can beinterposed between the block of friction material 102 and the supportelement 102. The brake pad 101 components can be designed for use athigh temperatures. For example, the components can be configured tooperate at a temperature of at least about 600° C.

One or more of the sensors 104 can comprises at least one protectiveelement 116 to protect it preferably from the high pressures,temperatures and forces acting upon it. For instance, the illustratedbrake element 101 includes a protective element 116 covering thepiezoceramic sensor 104. The protective element 116 is preferably madeof an electrically insulating material with mechanical properties thatlimit the force transmitted to the piezoceramic sensor 3 when anexternal compression force is applied to the block of friction material2. The protective element 116 can be configured to direct at least partof the external compression force to an area of the support element 102surrounding the piezoceramic sensor 104. Where additional sensors areincluded, the brake pad 101 can include a similar protective element forany the other sensors can include a similar protective element, such asthe temperature sensor and/or shear sensors. Examples of compatibleprotective elements are provided in U.S. Pat. No. 9,415,757.

The support element 102 can include an electrically insulated electricalcircuit 109 disposed thereon, which can have electrical contactsconnected to electrodes of the sensor(s) 104 for the acquisition of anelectrical signal output by the sensor(s) 104, and can have contactsconnected to the electrodes by means of a high temperature solder paste.For example, the electrical circuit 109 can be integrated into thesupport 102, such as by heat resistant screen printing technology (e.g.,glass ceramic material). Any other sensors such as the temperaturesensors can also be mounted onto the electrically insulated electricalcircuit 109, which can be integrated onto the support element 102. Thus,the electrical circuit 109 can also have electrical contacts connectedto the electrodes of any such additional sensors.

FIG. 8 illustrates a schematic side view of another compatible brake pad101 illustrating multiple sensors, and which can be identical or similarto other brake pads 101 described above, such as with respect to FIGS.3-4. The brake pad 101 of FIG. 8 includes one or more sensors 104A,104B. The sensor 104A can comprise a temperature sensor, such as PT1000sensors. In some embodiments, the brake pad 101 includes only onetemperature sensor 104A. In certain variants, the brake pad 101comprises a plurality of temperature sensors 104A. In some embodiments,the sensor 104B comprises a pressure sensor (e.g., a piezoceramicpressure sensor) and/or a shear sensor (e.g., a piezoceramic shearsensor). Some embodiments comprise only one sensor 104B. Some variantsinclude a plurality of the sensors 104B. Some or all of the sensors104A, 104B and the electrical circuit 109 can be covered by a protectiveelement 116. The protective layer can be made of electrically insulatingmaterial. In some embodiments, the protective layer comprises a ceramicmaterial.

With regard to FIG. 6 again, each control unit 11 can comprise aperipheral control unit, and the control unit 12 can comprise a centralcontrol unit. For instance, some or all of the control units cancomprise or form a part of the vehicle computing system 514 of FIG. 5.Various embodiments have one or more of the peripheral control units 11and/or the central control unit 514. For example, the vehicle caninclude 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, or more peripheral control units 11and/or 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, or more central control units 12. In someembodiments, the peripheral control units 11 can be located at or near arespective brake and/or at or near a respective wheel. For example, thevehicle system can include at least one peripheral control unit 11 foreach wheel. Some embodiments include at least one peripheral controlunit 11 for each set of wheels on the end of an axle, such as oneperipheral control unit 11 for each of the pairs of rear trailer wheelsshown in FIG. 1. In certain embodiments, the central control unit 12 islocated in a place that is centralized on the vehicle and/or in a placeto facilitate service or connection with other components. For example,the central control unit 12 can be located in or near a vehicle on-boardelectronic system, such as an electronic control unit (ECU). The centralcontrol unit 12 does not need to be centrally located, such as inrelation to the vehicle overall, the positioning of the peripheralcontrol units 11, the sensors, the wheels, or otherwise.

The peripheral control units 11 can be configured to communicate (e.g.,receive signals from) the sensors 104A, 104B of the brakes pads 101. Forexample, the peripheral control units 11 and sensors 104A, 104B cancommunicate by a communication interface 8 on the brake pad and acorresponding communication interface 19 on the brake pads 101. In someembodiments, the interface 8 comprises an electrical connector. In somevariants, the interface 8 comprises a wireless connection (e.g., RFtransmitter and receiver). The connector can be configured toelectrically couple with the electrical circuit 109. The connector 109can be configured to transmit electrical signals from the sensors 104A,104B to one or more components on the outside of the brake pad 101(e.g., the unit 11) for processing.

The peripheral control unit 11 can comprise a memory 13, a processor 20,and an electrical power supply 21. The peripheral control unit 11 canhave an A/D digitization stage 22 that transforms the analog signalsfrom the sensors 104A, 104B into digital signals. The peripheral controlunit 11 can have a digital signal conditioning stage 23. The processor20 of the peripheral control unit 11 can be programmable to process theincoming digital signals. As illustrated, the peripheral control unit 11can be connected with the central control unit 12, such as throughcommunication interfaces 15, 16. The communication interfaces cancomprise a wired connection (e.g., an electric cable) or a wirelessconnection (e.g., RF transmitter and receiver). In some embodiments, theperipheral control units 11 are not present, and the central controlunit 12 receives sensor information directly from the brake pads 101.

In certain embodiments, the central control unit 12 is configured toconcentrate and/or convert the information received from peripheralcontrol units 11 and/or to transmit information to the CAN-bus of thevehicle, such as, for communication with the ECU of the vehicle. Thecentral control unit 12 can include a memory 24 and an electrical powersupply 29. The memory 24 can be used to store information received fromthe peripheral control unit 11 or other information, such as programinstructions, sensor-related values (e.g., measured temperatures,measured pressures, measured shear values, threshold temperatures,threshold pressures, threshold shear values, etc.). For instance, thememory 24 can comprise or form a part of one or more of the black box518 of the vehicle 502 of FIG. 5.

The communication interface 17 can be cabled or wireless, and can beconfigured to communicate with other computing devices within thevehicle, or off-vehicle. For instance, the communication interface 17can correspond to the communication interface 520 of FIG. 5.

This is of course just one example among the various possibleconfigurations for the control units 11, 12. Another possibleconfiguration has a single peripheral control unit 11 for handling thesensors 104A, 104B of all of the brakes. In another contemplatedvariation, the central control unit 12 integrates all of the functionsincluding those of the peripheral control units 11. For example, thecentral control unit 12 can be connected with the brake pads 101 withouta separate intervening peripheral control unit 11. Some embodimentsinclude a plurality of peripheral control units 11, each located at arespective wheel of the vehicle. This can be beneficial since eachperipheral control unit 11 can be located at or near its respectivewheel. Some variants include a single peripheral control unit 11, whichcan be beneficial in consolidating components and functionality and/orby positioning the peripheral control unit 11 in a central locationbetween the wheels. In some implementations, the vehicle CAN-bus can beconnected to the peripheral control units 11 in addition to, or insteadof, the central control unit 12. In any case, the connection to theCAN-bus can be achieved by radio links such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi or otherradio protocols and standards based upon RF technology.

In some implementations, the electrical power supplies 21, 29 areconfigured to harvest and/or absorb energy from the motion of thevehicle, such as in the form of vibrational, kinetic, and/or thermalenergy that can be converted into electrical energy. The electriccomponents of the system 1 (e.g., the controllers 11, 12) can be poweredby the electrical energy converted from the energy absorbed from themotion of the vehicle. In some embodiments, the energy harvestercomprises a piezoelectric crystal, thermoelectric generator, orotherwise. The electrical energy can be stored in a storage device, suchas a battery or capacitor.

Certain Additional Numbered Embodiments

1. A device for analyzing and managing data generated by asensor-equipped braking system for vehicles, comprising a supportelement for a block of friction material and a sensor interposed betweenthe block of friction material and the support element, characterized inthat it comprises at least a central control unit capable of receivingin real time from said sensor at least basic data related to thepressure of the activated braking system, the temperature of theactivated braking system, the braking torque and/or the residual torquewhen the braking system is deactivated and the wear on the brakingsystem during and after the activation thereof.

2. The device for analyzing and managing data generated by asensor-equipped braking system for vehicles according to numberedembodiment 1, characterized in that said sensor comprise at least onetemperature sensor provided between said block of friction material andsaid support element.

3. The device for analyzing and managing data generated by asensor-equipped braking system for vehicles according to the previousnumbered embodiment, characterized in that said at least one temperaturesensor is mounted on an electrically insulated electrical circuit whichis integrated in the support element.

4. The device for analyzing and managing data generated by asensor-equipped braking system for vehicles according to the previousnumbered embodiment, characterized in that the electrically insulatedelectrical circuit is screen printed on the support element.

5. The device for analyzing and managing data generated by asensor-equipped braking system for vehicles according to numberedembodiment 1, characterized in that said at least a central control unitis connected to a GPS and to an accelerometer so as to receive firstauxiliary data on the position and kinematic state of said vehicle, saidbasic data and said first auxiliary data being analyzed simultaneouslywith all the onboard data on the state of the vehicle acquired directlyfrom the onboard systems of the vehicle.

6. The device for analyzing and managing data generated by asensor-equipped braking system for vehicles according to numberedembodiment 5, characterized in that it comprises at least a recordingunit connected to said central control unit for the simultaneousreal-time recording of said basic data, said first auxiliary data, saidonboard data analyzed by said central control unit, said recording unitbeing connected on one side to a black box for storing all said data andon the other side to a long-range communication unit.

7. The device for analyzing and managing data generated by asensor-equipped braking system for vehicles according to numberedembodiment 6, characterized in that said long-range communication unitcomprises at least a transmission module for transmitting said data viaa telephone network of a mobile telephone.

8. The device for analyzing and managing data generated by asensor-equipped braking system for vehicles according to numberedembodiment 6 or 7, characterized in that said black box or saidlong-range communication unit are components of the onboard system ofthe vehicle.

9. The device for analyzing and managing data generated by asensor-equipped braking system for vehicles according to any numberedembodiment 6 to 8, characterized in that said communication unit isconnected to a service centre, which is able to communicate said data atleast to the user of the vehicle and/or an automobile fleet managementcompany and/or vehicle insurance company and/or statistics firm and/ortraffic management company and/or vehicle maintenance company and/orvehicle production and sales company.

10. The device for analyzing and managing data generated by asensor-equipped braking system for vehicles according to numberedembodiment 1, characterized in that said sensor comprises at least onepiezoceramic sensor and in that it comprises at least one protectiveelement enclosing said at least one piezoceramic sensor so as to protectit preferably from high pressures, temperatures and forces acting uponit, said protective element being preferably made of electricallyinsulating material with mechanical properties such as to limit theforce transmitted to the piezoceramic sensor when an external force ofcompression is applied on said block of friction material.

11. The device for analyzing and managing data generated by asensor-equipped braking system for vehicles according to numberedembodiment 10, characterized in that said protective element isconfigured to direct said external force of compression at least in partonto an area of the support element surrounding said at least onepiezoceramic sensor.

12. A vehicle characterized in that it incorporates at least ananalysing device according to any numbered embodiment.

Certain Terminology

Some operations described herein can be performed in real-time or nearreal-time. As used herein, the term “real-time” and the like, inaddition to having its ordinary meaning, can mean rapidly or within acertain expected or predefined time interval, and not necessarilyimmediately. For instance, real-time may be within a fraction of asecond, a second, or a few seconds, or some other short period of timeafter a triggering event.

Terms of orientation used herein, such as “top,” “bottom,” “horizontal,”“vertical,” “longitudinal,” “lateral,” and “end” are used in the contextof the illustrated embodiment. However, the present disclosure shouldnot be limited to the illustrated orientation. Indeed, otherorientations are possible and are within the scope of this disclosure.Terms relating to circular shapes as used herein, such as diameter orradius, should be understood not to require perfect circular structures,but rather should be applied to any suitable structure with across-sectional region that can be measured from side-to-side. Termsrelating to shapes generally, such as “circular” or “cylindrical” or“semi-circular” or “semi-cylindrical” or any related or similar terms,are not required to conform strictly to the mathematical definitions ofcircles or cylinders or other structures, but can encompass structuresthat are reasonably close approximations.

Conditional language, such as “can,” “could,” “might,” or “may,” unlessspecifically stated otherwise, or otherwise understood within thecontext as used, is generally intended to convey that certainembodiments include or do not include, certain features, elements,and/or steps. Thus, such conditional language is not generally intendedto imply that features, elements, and/or steps are in any way requiredfor one or more embodiments.

Conjunctive language, such as the phrase “at least one of X, Y, and Z,”unless specifically stated otherwise, is otherwise understood with thecontext as used in general to convey that an item, term, etc. may beeither X, Y, or Z. Thus, such conjunctive language is not generallyintended to imply that certain embodiments require the presence of atleast one of X, at least one of Y, and at least one of Z.

The terms “approximately,” “about,” and “substantially” as used hereinrepresent an amount close to the stated amount that still performs adesired function or achieves a desired result. For example, in someembodiments, as the context may permit, the terms “approximately”,“about”, and “substantially” may refer to an amount that is within lessthan or equal to 10% of the stated amount. The term “generally” as usedherein represents a value, amount, or characteristic that predominantlyincludes or tends toward a particular value, amount, or characteristic.As an example, in certain embodiments, as the context may permit, theterm “generally parallel” can refer to something that departs fromexactly parallel by less than or equal to 20 degrees.

Unless otherwise explicitly stated, articles such as “a” or “an” shouldgenerally be interpreted to include one or more described items.Accordingly, phrases such as “a device configured to” are intended toinclude one or more recited devices. Such one or more recited devicescan also be collectively configured to carry out the stated recitations.For example, “a device configured to carry out recitations A, B, and C”can include a first device configured to carry out recitation A workingin conjunction with a second device configured to carry out recitationsB and C.

The terms “comprising,” “including,” “having,” and the like aresynonymous and are used inclusively, in an open-ended fashion, and donot exclude additional elements, features, acts, operations, and soforth. Likewise, the terms “some,” “certain,” and the like aresynonymous and are used in an open-ended fashion. Also, the term “or” isused in its inclusive sense (and not in its exclusive sense) so thatwhen used, for example, to connect a list of elements, the term “or”means one, some, or all of the elements in the list.

Overall, the language of the claims is to be interpreted broadly basedon the language employed in the claims. The language of the claims isnot to be limited to the non-exclusive embodiments and examples that areillustrated and described in this disclosure, or that are discussedduring the prosecution of the application.

Summary

Various systems, devices, and methods have been disclosed in the contextof certain embodiments and examples above. However, this disclosureextends beyond the specifically disclosed embodiments to otheralternative embodiments and/or uses and obvious modifications andequivalents thereof. In particular, while the systems, devices, andmethods has been described in the context of illustrative embodiments,certain advantages, features, and aspects of the devices, systems, andmethods may be realized in a variety of other applications. Variousfeatures and aspects of the disclosed embodiments can be combined withor substituted for one another in order to form varying modes of thedevices, systems, and methods. The scope of this disclosure should notbe limited by the particular disclosed embodiments described herein.

The systems, devices, and methods described above are susceptible tonumerous modifications and variations, all falling within the scope ofthe inventive concept; moreover all of the components can be replaced bytechnically equivalent elements. Additionally, various aspects andfeatures of the embodiments described can be practiced separately,combined together, or substituted for one another. A variety ofcombination and subcombinations of the disclosed features and aspectscan be made and still fall within the scope of this disclosure. Certainfeatures that are described in this disclosure in the context ofseparate implementations can also be implemented in combination in asingle implementation. Conversely, various features that are describedin the context of a single implementation can also be implemented inmultiple implementations separately or in any suitable subcombination.Although features may be described above as acting in certaincombinations, one or more features from a claimed combination can, insome cases, be excised from the combination, and the combination may beclaimed as any subcombination or variation of any subcombination.

Moreover, while operations may be depicted in the drawings or describedin the specification in a particular order, such operations need not beperformed in the particular order shown or in sequential order, and alloperations need not be performed, to achieve the desirable results.Other operations that are not depicted or described can be incorporatedin the example methods and processes. For example, one or moreadditional operations can be performed before, after, simultaneously, orbetween any of the described operations. Further, the operations may berearranged or reordered in other implementations. Also, the separationof various system components in the implementations described aboveshould not be understood as requiring such separation in allimplementations, and it should be understood that the describedcomponents and systems can generally be integrated together in a singleproduct or packaged into multiple products. Additionally, otherimplementations are within the scope of this disclosure.

Some embodiments have been described in connection with the accompanyingdrawings. The figures are drawn to scale, but such scale should not belimiting, since dimensions and proportions other than what are shown arecontemplated and are within the scope of this disclosure. Distances,angles, etc. are merely illustrative and do not necessarily bear anexact relationship to actual dimensions and layout of the devicesillustrated. Components can be added, removed, and/or rearranged.Further, the disclosure herein of any particular feature, aspect,method, property, characteristic, quality, attribute, element, or thelike in connection with various embodiments can be used in all otherembodiments set forth herein. Additionally, any methods described hereinmay be practiced using any device suitable for performing the recitedsteps.

In summary, various embodiments and examples have been disclosed.Although the systems and methods have been disclosed in the context ofthose embodiments and examples, this disclosure extends beyond thespecifically disclosed embodiments to other alternative embodimentsand/or other uses of the embodiments, as well as to certainmodifications and equivalents thereof. This disclosure expresslycontemplates that various features and aspects of the disclosedembodiments can be combined with, or substituted for, one another. Thus,the scope of this disclosure should not be limited by the particularembodiments described above, but should be determined only by a fairreading of the claims that follow.

What is claimed is:
 1. A system configured to generate data using asensor-equipped brake unit, the system comprising: a braking unitcomprising: a braking device comprising: a support; a friction materialconnected with the support and configured to interface with a brake diskor a brake drum; and at least one pressure sensor positioned between thefriction material and the support and configured to output first sensordata; at least one accelerometer configured to output second sensor dataeffective to determine deceleration of a vehicle incorporating thebraking unit; one or more memory devices; and a computing systemcomprising one or more hardware processors configured to: receive inputdata comprising the first sensor data and the second sensor data;process the input data to identify a deceleration of the vehicleindicative of a collision; and process the input data to analyze brakesystem operation corresponding to a time at or around the time of theindicated collision.
 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least onepressure sensor comprises a piezoceramic sensor.
 3. The system of claim1, wherein the computing system receives the input data from the one ormore memory devices.
 4. A vehicle comprising: a body; a plurality ofwheels connected with the body; a braking unit configured to brake atleast one of the plurality of wheels, the braking unit comprising: abraking device comprising: a support; a block of friction materialconnected with the support and configured to interface with a brake diskor a brake drum associated with at least one of the plurality of wheels;and at least one sensor configured to output sensor data effective todetermine one or more of: a pressure associated with the braking unitduring braking, a braking torque associated with the braking unit duringbraking, a residual torque associated with the braking unit when thebraking unit is deactivated, and a wear associated with the brakingunit; an accelerometer; a vehicle computing system comprising one ormore hardware processors configured to: receive input data comprisingthe sensor data output from the at least one sensor and accelerationdata output from the accelerometer effective to determine decelerationof the vehicle; process the input data to identify a decelerationindicative of a collision; and process the input data to analyze brakesystem operation corresponding to a time at or around the time of theindicated collision; and one or more memory devices.
 5. The vehicle ofclaim 4, further comprising a location sensor configured to providelocation data effective to determine a location of the vehicle.
 6. Thevehicle of claim 5, wherein the vehicle computing system is configuredto process the location data and the acceleration data to determine alocation of the vehicle that is more accurate than a location that canbe determined using the location data alone.
 7. The vehicle of claim 6,further comprising at least one on-board system, wherein the vehiclecomputing system is configured to receive and process the sensor data,the location data, the acceleration data, and data received from the atleast one on-board system.
 8. The vehicle of claim 4, wherein the atleast one sensor is positioned between the block of friction materialand the support.
 9. The vehicle of claim 4, wherein the at least onesensor comprises a pressure sensor.
 10. The vehicle of claim 4, whereinthe at least one sensor comprises at least one piezoceramic sensorcomprising a protective element enclosing the at least one piezoceramicsensor.
 11. The vehicle of claim 10 wherein the protective element isconfigured to direct a compression force at least in part onto an areaof the support surrounding the at least one piezoceramic sensor.
 12. Thevehicle of claim 4, wherein the braking device further comprises anelectrically insulated electrical circuit integrated in the support, andwherein the at least one sensor is mounted on the electrically insulatedelectrical circuit.
 13. The vehicle of claim 4, wherein the electricallyinsulated electrical circuit is screen printed on the support.
 14. Thevehicle of claim 4, further comprising a communication unit configuredto wirelessly transmit data over a wide area network.
 15. The vehicle ofclaim 14, wherein the communication unit is configured to transmit dataover a cellular network.
 16. The vehicle of claim 14, wherein thevehicle computing system is further configured to forward data regardingthe indicated collision to the communication unit for wirelesstransmission.
 17. The system of claim 16, wherein the vehicle computingsystem is further configured to forward to the communication unit forwireless transmission data indicating one or more of a notification of amalfunction of the braking unit or an indication to replace, repair, orinspect the braking unit.
 18. The vehicle of claim 4, wherein thevehicle computing system receives the input data from the one or morememory devices.
 19. A method of processing data generated by vehiclesensors, including sensors from at least one sensor-equipped vehiclebrake pad, to learn information relating to a collision, the methodcomprising: obtaining, with at least one sensor-equipped brake pad of avehicle, first data effective to determine one or more of: a pressureassociated with the brake pad during braking and a braking torqueassociated with the brake pad during braking; obtaining, with anacceleration sensor supported by the vehicle, second data effective todetermine deceleration of the vehicle; receiving, with a computingsystem of the vehicle comprising one or more hardware processors, inputdata comprising the first data and the second data; processing the inputdata to identify a deceleration of the vehicle indicative of acollision; and processing the input data to analyze brake systemoperation corresponding to a time at or around the time of thecollision.
 20. The method of claim 19, further comprising storing thefirst data and the second data in one or more memory devices, andwherein the receiving comprises receiving the input data from the one ormore memory devices.